I have worked yesterday two knives with the Venev plate 80 + 150, using both sides. Here is my feedback : I think it is great tool that can replace most coarse grit whetstones. They are very hard stones, they don't dish, they abrase, they make precise and clean work.
The 80 side will work fast enough for shaping the bevel and you will get something close to Debado 180 fastness I would say, with deeper scratches though. But where the Debado will be not as precise, like along the shinogi, or at the heel where you're always not sure if you overgrind or if the work is clean ; the Venev will give a precise job, clear, because there will be no haziness and the scratches won't hide anything, and it is very hard so when it is not touching, it is clearly not touching.
The 150 side will be used to erase 80 scratches and further refine the bevel geometry. It will work faster than a Naniwa pro 400 but again, deeper scratches. But you get a clear view on the bevel and you don't need to flatten the stone because it is so hard.
I did not have to flatten both stones after the work on both knives, which took about 1 hour each. Really impressive.
I really like the hardness for the control it give and feedback is not bad.
Now some cons :
- I am not sure I would advise it to beginners. Being super hard, they are not working like softer or medium hard stone giving you the idea the stone grind, and being hard they won't help you about facets, they will make them and you will have to deal with blending. Being hard, if it is not touching in some area, it really won't touch, so you will have to grind until it touch, so it's really rigid in the way it works, it's good for me, but I guess a beginner will not like it.
- for the grit, 80 being a 80 grit, 150 being a 180 grit, they are not fast as some whetstones. You'll be more precise but not sure as fast as you would expect.
- I have invested on some diamond stones recently (I will make a review when I will have work about a month with them), I would say Venev 80 + 150 is one of the best diamond stone for shaping a bevel I have tried. First place will go to NSK Hakuto 200 right now, because being a little softer it is also faster, but for the little lower price you got 2 grit with venev, lot of surface and being super hard they are useful because they will be always a reference and I guess i would buy maybe the other ones for ura work for exemple.
- last cons : deep scratches. Be ready to put heavy scratches on you bevel. They are not impossible to erase, but again, I am not sure it would be a beginner stones as I can imagine someone can be surprised not in a good way to not be able to erase the scratches of that stone. 150 will erase 80. But what will erase 150 ? I guess the 240 from venev. A naniwa pro 400 will be able to erase them, but it won't be that fast to do. And scratches are more deep in iron than steel. You will clean steel alright, but some scratches on the iron are severe and trying to erase them you will create new low spots if you are not aware. That make me think that scratch pattern is maybe not the most even, but I will check that.
That's it for now
The 80 side will work fast enough for shaping the bevel and you will get something close to Debado 180 fastness I would say, with deeper scratches though. But where the Debado will be not as precise, like along the shinogi, or at the heel where you're always not sure if you overgrind or if the work is clean ; the Venev will give a precise job, clear, because there will be no haziness and the scratches won't hide anything, and it is very hard so when it is not touching, it is clearly not touching.
The 150 side will be used to erase 80 scratches and further refine the bevel geometry. It will work faster than a Naniwa pro 400 but again, deeper scratches. But you get a clear view on the bevel and you don't need to flatten the stone because it is so hard.
I did not have to flatten both stones after the work on both knives, which took about 1 hour each. Really impressive.
I really like the hardness for the control it give and feedback is not bad.
Now some cons :
- I am not sure I would advise it to beginners. Being super hard, they are not working like softer or medium hard stone giving you the idea the stone grind, and being hard they won't help you about facets, they will make them and you will have to deal with blending. Being hard, if it is not touching in some area, it really won't touch, so you will have to grind until it touch, so it's really rigid in the way it works, it's good for me, but I guess a beginner will not like it.
- for the grit, 80 being a 80 grit, 150 being a 180 grit, they are not fast as some whetstones. You'll be more precise but not sure as fast as you would expect.
- I have invested on some diamond stones recently (I will make a review when I will have work about a month with them), I would say Venev 80 + 150 is one of the best diamond stone for shaping a bevel I have tried. First place will go to NSK Hakuto 200 right now, because being a little softer it is also faster, but for the little lower price you got 2 grit with venev, lot of surface and being super hard they are useful because they will be always a reference and I guess i would buy maybe the other ones for ura work for exemple.
- last cons : deep scratches. Be ready to put heavy scratches on you bevel. They are not impossible to erase, but again, I am not sure it would be a beginner stones as I can imagine someone can be surprised not in a good way to not be able to erase the scratches of that stone. 150 will erase 80. But what will erase 150 ? I guess the 240 from venev. A naniwa pro 400 will be able to erase them, but it won't be that fast to do. And scratches are more deep in iron than steel. You will clean steel alright, but some scratches on the iron are severe and trying to erase them you will create new low spots if you are not aware. That make me think that scratch pattern is maybe not the most even, but I will check that.
That's it for now